Necessary Sacrifices
by TheOccasionalFanfiction
Summary: Everyone in Rosewood has secrets, and Rylee is no exception. Having moved away right after Alison's disappearance, she returns just as her old best friend's murder is being investigated. And when Jason DiLaurentis comes back into her life, some old feelings come with him...and A isn't going to let Rylee forget her past.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! This is my first FanFiction, so I hope you all enjoy it. Please please review to let me know what you think about Rylee and the rest of the story. The first chapter takes place on the night that Alison disappears, and then we jump to one year later.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars, only Rylee Caldwell.

Chapter 1

"Hey, pass the popcorn!" Rylee jumped down from the couch in the center of the Hastings' massive barn.

"Slow down," Spencer laughed, but reached for the bowl anyway and passed it over. "We haven't even started a movie yet."

Rylee groaned, pressing a hand to her stomach. "I can't help it. I'm starving."

"Me too," Hanna agreed, the sleeve of her baggy t-shirt swishing as she leaned across Emily to swipe some kernels out of the bowl.

Rylee laughed, leaning back against the couch and pulling her knees up to her chest as she set the popcorn aside. While Hanna was sitting in the puffy chair on the other side of the coffee table, her arms wrapped firmly around her stomach, the other girls were all jumping around and dancing to the loud music. But Rylee didn't feel like joining in. Tonight she was just happy to watch.

A loud bang cut off the music, and the lights flickered, then went out altogether. The girls all screamed, and Rylee leapt off of the couch, banging her knee into the table.

Spencer grabbed a match and lit a candle just as a knock resonated off of the wall of the barn. "I think someone's out there," Aria whispered, snatching a flashlight and flicking it on, shining it toward the partway open barn door.

"Come on, guys," Rylee said with a nervous laugh, scrambling over to join her friends. "It's probably just the wind or…something."

"Guys," Hanna whimpered. She grabbed on Rylee's arm as another crash from outside the barn made them all jump.

Huddled together, the five girls crept slowly toward the door, Aria holding the flashlight in front of them. Rylee held tight to Hanna's hand, doubting now that what they'd heard was just "the wind."

It was completely dark outside, too dark to see anything through the little opening. Spencer was just reaching out when the door slammed open. They all screamed, leaping back. Rylee's heart jumped into her throat.

"Gotcha!"

Alison DiLaurentis let out a giddy laugh as she leapt into the barn, her blond wavy hair bouncing around her face. Her bright yellow sleeveless shirt seemed to make her face glow even more than usual.

"Oh my God," Rylee cried, out of breath from all the screaming. "That wasn't funny, Ali."

"I thought it was hilarious, girls," Alison crowed, striding into the barn and glancing down at her phone with a smile. Texting whoever her newest boyfriend is, Rylee thought, scowling as she stomped back over to the couch. Probably the reason why she hadn't been on time to the sleepover.

"Ali, did you download the new Beyoncé yet?" Aria asked, the grin back on her face as she settled back in, smoothing a hand through the pink streaks in her hair.

"Not yet," Alison said, still obviously halfway distracted by her phone.

"I'm loving her new video," Emily commented with a smile, pulling her knees underneath her.

Alison finally looked up, her smile turning into something closer to a smirk. "Maybe a little too much, Em," she said quietly, and Rylee frowned at the almost hurt look on Emily's face. What was _that_ supposed to mean?

"Your turn." Alison reached for the red glass of beer on the table, holding it out to Aria. "Go on."

"Careful, Aria," Spencer said with a laugh. "Drink too much and you'll tell us all your secrets."

Rylee chuckled, but silently prayed that her turn to take a swig wouldn't come. The last thing she wanted was to drink too much and let out all of her own secrets.

But Alison was watching Aria seriously, her eyes crinkling and her expression suddenly warm. "Friends share secrets. That's what keeps us close." She paused, and smiled brightly again, the moment over. "Drink up!"

Finally Aria relented, taking the glass from Ali and holding it up in a "cheers" gesture before holding it to her lips and taking a sip.

"See?" Alison teased once she was finished. "I don't see you spilling all your secrets." She grabbed the glass away from Aria and took a swig of her own.

Then her eyes focused on Rylee, and she extended her arm. "Go ahead."

Rylee gulped, but took the cup without protest, even though she already felt a little tipsy from the bottle of tonic that Hanna had managed to steal from her liquor cabinet. But she knew from experience that if you wanted to stay in Alison's good graces, you did what she said.

She tipped her head back and felt the burn of the alcohol down her throat.

As the girls kept talking around her, Rylee leaned back against the couch. Suddenly she was starting to feel little tired.

x

Rylee woke a few hours later to the feeling of someone's hand shaking her shoulder. Aria stood above her, her face worried as she walked over to the open barn door and peered outside. "What's going on?" Rylee groaned, rubbing at her eyes.

"Where's Ali and Spencer?" Hanna asked groggily, sitting up as well, as did Emily.

"We don't know," Aria replied, her voice high with confusion. Then she glanced once more out of the doors, her eyes lighting up. "Ali?"

Rylee jumped up and hurried over to her just in time to see Spencer walk up, her hands rigid at her sides and her expression emotionless. "She's gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Rylee asked worriedly, glancing back as Emily and Hanna walked over to them.

"I've looked everywhere for her," Spencer said, shaking her head almost unnoticeably. "I think I heard her scream."

Rylee stepped around Aria to look out into the Hastings' huge backyard, her head swiveling back and forth as her heart sped up.

Everything was still, from the bright green leaves on the trees to the construction site of the new gazebo in the DiLaurentis' yard next door.

There was no sign of Alison anywhere.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I'm surprised I could write another chapter so fast but I'm already working on chapter three! Thanks so much to Purpledino25 and karma3825 for leaving me reviews! I'm glad you guys like the story so far! Make sure to let me know what you think of this chapter! Hopefully I can update again soon.

Chapter 2

Rylee stepped in front of her bedroom mirror and took a deep breath, studying her reflection. Her dark auburn hair was the same, and so were her blue eyes and ivory skin. Even her style, of a simple navy blue sleeveless dress and brown boots was the same as it had been a year ago, but she felt like a completely different person.

"Do I have to go back, Dad?" she blurted, spotting her father passing by her room.

Dale Caldwell paused, leaning his hand on the doorframe. "Last time I checked, you liked school, Rylee," he commented. "What's different about this year?"

Rylee stared at him for a second, frowning. "Um, everything. Last time you checked, I wasn't going to school with a bunch of people I haven't seen since last year. And everything's different now."

Her father sighed, walking into her room and sitting down at her desk. "I get it, honey. The whole reason we moved to Virginia was so you could get away from everything."

"Then why did we have to come back?" Rylee asked, looking anxiously at the clock. She had to leave for school in ten minutes, and she could already feel herself getting nervous. "Alison's still missing. And I haven't talked to my old friends in almost a year."

Dale frowned, the lines on his forehead deepening. "I thought you kept in touch with them while we were gone?"

"Yeah, Dad, for like, two months. But then Aria moved away to Iceland and Spencer got all involved with her activities, and the others just…lost touch."

"You don't think," her father said slowly, leaning forward and clasping his hands between his knees, "that what happened with your mother had anything to do with that?"

"What?" Rylee gasped, stunned. Several months after her family packed up and left Rosewood for a larger town in Virginia, Rylee's mother had apparently decided that she couldn't handle the life she was living, and ran off, taking only Rylee's seven-year-old sister with her and leaving a note behind. Rylee and her father had spent the next few months trying to rebuild their lives in a new place and wondering why they hadn't been taken along, too.

"Okay," Rylee admitted, cringing. "So maybe _I_ fell out of touch with _them._ " She stood up and sighed, fingering the frayed edge of her purse. "But why do I have to go back to my old school? Can't I go to the private school instead?"

Dale smiled but shook his head. "You know we don't have the money for that. Not right now. Maybe for your senior year." He got to his feet and hugged her. "Don't worry about a thing. It's only a year. You're going to be fine."

Rylee raised her arms to hug her father back, but his words did little to ease her fears. She had a feeling that, with Alison gone, nothing was going to be the same.

x

It was so awkward coming to school late in the year. School had only been in session for a little over two weeks, but as she sat through her first two classes, Rylee felt far behind the rest of her classmates. She was going to have to speed read the first five chapters of the novel for English, and she barely had a clue what was going on in chemistry.

And to top it off, she barely recognized anyone. Who knew that one year could change so much?

"Rylee," a voice called down the hallway as she stood at her locker, switching out her books and frantically consulting her schedule to find out where she had to go next.

Spencer walked up, smiling, and Rylee couldn't hide her relief. Finally a friendly face, and one she actually remembered. Spencer looked the same as she had a year ago, though she was a little taller and her clothes were a little less preppy.

"Hey," Spencer said, reaching out to give her an awkward hug. "I didn't know you were back in town."

Rylee pulled away, holding her bag to her side just for something to do. "This is my first day in school. We got back over the weekend."

"That's great," Spencer said enthusiastically, but the girls settled into a silence, the awkwardness between them obvious.

Rylee cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands. "So, um, how have things been around here? While I was gone?"

Spencer's face paled, and she looked quickly away. "Um…"

"What?" Something was wrong, Rylee could tell.

After a moment, Spencer raised her eyes to meet Rylee's. "They found her body," she said, her voice low. "About a week and a half ago."

For a second, everything froze. Rylee felt like she was standing in outer space. "Ali's…dead?" she squeaked, her ears ringing. "For real?"

"She was buried under that gazebo," Spencer whispered. "Remember? The one her parents were building when she went missing."

"Holy crap." Rylee leaned back against her locker, her heart pounding. "That almost makes it sound like she was…" But she couldn't get the word out. It stuck in her throat.

Apparently, though, Spencer didn't feel the same way. "Murdered? Yeah. And the police think we're involved."

"What?" The word was barely out of Rylee's mouth before she heard her name crackle over the intercom.

"Rylee Caldwell, please report to the vice principal's office. Rylee Caldwell."

All at once, she felt the color drain from her face. "You don't think this is about – "

Spencer shook her head firmly. "No way. It's probably just something about your transcript, or schedule. They wouldn't let the police interrogate you on your first day back."

Rylee didn't like the thought of the police interrogating her at all, but she gulped and nodded, saying goodbye to Spencer and walking slowly in the direction of the main office. She was surprised at how easily she was able to find her way around, almost like she never left Rosewood at all.

Nervously, she knocked on the wooden door of the vice principal's office and waited, her hands clasped in front of her. The door swung open to reveal two tall people, a man and a woman, both wearing police uniforms.

"Rylee Caldwell?" the male asked, his voice firm. "We're from the Pennsylvania state police department. We'd like to have a word with you."

Rylee allowed them to usher her into the office, her breathing coming quick. "What's this about?" she asked, hoping that playing innocent would help get her out of here quicker.

"You were with Alison DiLaurentis on the night that she disappeared?" the female officer asked, perching on the edge of the desk.

Rylee inhaled and nodded. "I was at the sleepover. In Spencer's barn." She wrinkled her nose and added, "I already told the police everything I know when Alison went missing."

"Yes," the man said slowly, scribbling on a notepad, "but that was before the status of this investigation changed. Two years ago we were dealing with a missing person's investigation. Now we're dealing with a homicide."

The word homicide made Rylee a little sick to her stomach. "We were in the barn," she said quickly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. "I fell asleep with the others and when I woke up, Alison was gone."

The woman stood up from the edge of the desk, raising her eyebrows. "Was there drinking at this party?"

Rylee paled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"We're just trying to ask you the questions that we asked the other girls," the officer replied calmly. "We were hoping to speak with you all together, but we weren't aware at the time that you would be returning to Rosewood."

Rylee sighed. Right now, she would have done anything to go back to Virginia. "We weren't drinking," she lied. "And that's all I know. Seriously. Can I please go now? I'm already late."

The two officers exchanged a glance. "Just one more thing," said the man. "Did you ever feel…threatened by your friend Alison? Upset with her, maybe?"

Why were they asking her that? "I mean, sure. We fought, like all friends did," she said with a shrug, even though it had been so much more than that. "But I loved Ali. She was almost like my sister."

"Like your sister, you say?" the woman said, making a note on her legal pad. "And what about the rest of the family? Did you ever have any contact with her brother, Jason DiLaurentis?"

Rylee paled.

x

 _The girls were all hanging out in Alison's room, listening to loud music and trying on clothes from her closet as they waited for the pizza to arrive. "We need soda," Alison declared, sitting down on her bed and pulling a red shirt on over her head. "To go with the pizza."_

 _The others all nodded their agreement, and Alison glanced around, her eyes landing on Rylee. "Go down to the kitchen and grab a pack, would you?"_

 _Rylee opened her mouth to protest – she had just grabbed a mint green skirt that she had been dying to try on all night – but stopped herself. The last time she had made Alison mad by not doing what she said, she hadn't been invited along on their trip to the lake. And Alison had made sure she'd known about it._

 _Rylee liked to think that Ali wouldn't do something like that over refusing to go get soda. But she didn't want to push her luck, so she heaved herself out of the chair. "Sure."_

 _She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, her head throbbing a little from the music. She opened the fridge and bent down, scanning her eyes around for a six pack of soda._

 _"_ _Hey," a deep voice said, and she jumped, nearly banging her head on the fridge. "You looking for something?"_

 _Rylee stood up and spun around. Alison's older brother Jason stood behind her, leaning against the counter. She felt herself flush, and she tugged at the purple tank top she was wearing, trying to pull it up higher. For some reason, Jason had always made her a little nervous. "Just some soda."_

 _"_ _Right here." She stepped out of his way, and he knelt down, pushing aside a few cans and bottles to pull out the pack. "My mom's pretty OCD about keeping this place organized. Only Alison would've known where this is."_

 _Rylee shrugged, weighing the soda in her hands, and Jason chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not surprised, though. My sister doesn't do anything for herself that she can get her friends to do for her."_

 _She could hear the bitterness in his voice and shivered, turning away. "I don't mind."_

 _"_ _Course you don't," Jason said casually. He opened the fridge again and rifled through it, coming up with a box of beer._

 _Rylee wanted to run back upstairs, but she couldn't contain her curiosity. "What's that for?" She'd heard Ali complain about her brother's drinking, but Rylee couldn't imagine that he would actually drink a whole box of beers himself._

 _"_ _I'm having a little get together tonight," he explained, setting the box down and leaning his elbow against the counter again. "So you girls better be out of here by eight."_

 _A little get together? From what Rylee had heard, Jason's "get togethers" were more along the lines of legendary parties. She lived two streets over, and sometimes she could even hear the music and crashes from the DiLaurentis house, hours past midnight._

 _"_ _You're having a party?" she asked, hating how tiny her voice sounded, like she was some scared little girl or something._

 _"_ _Only invited some of the guys," Jason said with a shrug. "But more people always show up. So I've gotta be prepared." He rapped his fist against the box of beer. Then he glanced over at her, looking her up and down. Rylee tugged on a split end, self conscious. "I'd invite you to stay and hang out, but I'm not so sure you're up for it."_

 _Suddenly defiant, Rylee placed her hands on her hips, glowering. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

 _"_ _Nothing." Jason picked up the box easily with one hand. "Just that I'm not throwing the freshman parties you're used to."_

 _Rylee narrowed her eyes, but something was starting to break through her annoyance. She just couldn't figure out what it was. "You don't know what I can – "_

 _"_ _Rylee." Alison appeared at the top of the stairs, frowning. "What's taking so long? Hurry up."_

 _Rylee exhaled, not sure if she was relieved or disappointed. "Coming," she called, and picked up the pack of soda, giving Jason one last look before heading for the stairs._

 _"_ _God, were you talking to my brother?" Alison said, rolling her eyes and glancing back at Rylee as they climbed the stairs. "Stay away from him. He's such a creep."_

 _Rylee felt her cheeks flush, and realized that she wasn't so sure about that._

x

Rylee frowned, raising a hand to her suddenly flaming hot cheek. That conversation in the kitchen had only been the beginning.

"No," she blurted out to the officers, who were both watching her curiously. "I didn't know Jason at all."


	3. Chapter 3

I wish I was getting some more reviews on this story. I didn't get any on the last chapter and it kind of bummed me out. If some of you guys could take a few seconds to let me know if you are liking this story or not, it would really make my day!

Chapter 3

Rylee ducked out of the main office and paused for a moment, leaning her head against the wall and taking in deep breaths of air. She hadn't let herself think about her relationship with Jason DiLaurentis in a long time. Once she had moved to Virginia, it had been easy to put her old life behind her. But now that she was back…

She had a feeling it wasn't going to be so easy.

Rylee stood up straight and was just about to head off for her next class when her cell phone buzzed. She sighed, fishing it out of her bag. She had told her father not to text her during school. But when she pulled it out, she gaped down at the message.

" _A FIFTH little liar? Looks like you're keeping just as many secrets as the rest. Good thing I'm around. –A"_

Rylee stared down at the text, hardly breathing. _A?_ Who the heck was A? The number that the message was sent from was blocked and there was no other way to tell the person's identity.

Had someone been listening in on her conversation with the police? A had to have been referring to Jason. And who were the four other liars?

A.

Rylee's mouth fell open and her heart skipped a beat. The only person who had known about Rylee's relationship with Jason was… _Alison._

x

 _It was a super hot day at the end of June and the girls were sitting at a table at the food court in the mall, sharing two baskets of fries and gossiping. Well, Alison was gossiping. Rylee and the others were mostly listening. But it didn't matter. Ali was the one with all of the good info, anyway._

 _But it was Hanna who suddenly jumped and turned away, tugging on her t-shirt and shielding her face with her hand. "Oh my God, you guys."_

 _Alison made a face, irritated at being interrupted. "What is it, Hanna?"_

 _Hanna looked up, her face red. "Do you see that guy over there? He was totally just looking at us."_

 _The girls all turned, Rylee twisting in her seat to get a better look. A cute, probably sixteen or so boy was standing at the smoothie stand, and sure enough, he was looking in their direction._

 _The girls all giggled, blushing and quickly turning away. Alison just rolled her eyes with a smile and leaned her elbows on the table, grabbing a fry from the basket._

 _"_ _He's cute," Spencer commented, smiling down at the table._

 _"_ _Yeah, I could go for one of those," Aria agreed, shooting another sly look over at the boy._

 _Rylee grinned, nodding, and Hanna smacked her on the arm. "You totally think he's cute, too! You should go talk to him."_

 _Rylee felt the color drain from her face. "What? You guys, he's like, sixteen."_

 _"_ _Come on," Spencer urged. "I think it was you he was looking at, anyway."_

 _Sighing, Rylee began to stand, and her friends all grinned. She might as well. It wasn't like she had anything to lose. And anyway, she_ was _wearing one of her favorite dresses._

 _But Alison raised her eyebrows, smirking. "Sorry, girls, but Rylee's already taken."_

 _Rylee dropped back into her seat in shock, as her friends all gaped at her. "You have a boyfriend?" Emily asked, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell us?"_

 _"_ _I don't have a boyfriend," Rylee murmured, feeling her face light up._

 _"_ _Oh, come on, Ryles," Alison trilled. "We're all friends, they deserve to know. And I mean, if_ I _was dating an older boy, I'd want everyone to know."_

 _The expressions of surprise on the others' faces turned to ones of absolute disbelief. "Oh my God!" Aria squeaked. "Now you_ have _to tell us." Emily and Hanna nodded enthusiastically. Spencer had gone strangely quiet._

 _As she realized what Alison was talking about, Rylee paled, nervously fingering the black wallet in her lap. "Let it go, Ali," she whispered desperately. "Please."_

 _But Alison's smile had disappeared, her eyes darkening. "Tell them, Rylee. Unless you want me to do it for you."_

 _Rylee gasped. Would Alison really do that? She knew that Ali wasn't thrilled about her relationship (if you could even call it that) with her brother, but she wouldn't really spill that secret to the other girls, would she?_

 _Hanna turned to Alison, gaping as she grabbed a handful of fries from the basket. "You know him?"_

 _Alison smirked, folding her arms over her chest and looking directly at Rylee as she spoke, her words hard. "Oh, yes. He's practically my brother."_

x

She stared down at the phone until her vision blurred. _Oh my God._ Rylee was confident that Alison had been the only person to know about her budding romance with Jason. She had been too careful for anyone else to find out.

Rylee shook her head and shoved her phone into her purse, trying to look unfazed as she made her way down the hall. There was no way that A could be Alison. Alison's body was found just a few days ago, Spencer just told her so.

Rylee wasn't sure which possibility scared her the most: That Alison was still alive, or that someone else knew her secret, too.

x

"Hey guys." Rylee set her purse down on the table and slid into the only empty seat, beside Emily and across from Aria. She glanced around the Apple Rose Grille. She hadn't been in here since before she'd left Rosewood, but she remembered it as one of their old favorite hangouts. It felt weird being here without Alison with them.

Thinking of Alison made Rylee's stomach pinch with nerves.

"Hey," her former friends all greeted, smiling, but Rylee noticed that Spencer was sipping nervously at her water, and Hanna kept tapping the table with her fingernails and glancing over at her phone. Everyone seemed tense.

Probably because none of them were really close anymore, Rylee figured, biting her lip and waving to a waiter so she could order a coke. Spencer had texted her that morning, inviting her to come to lunch with them so they could all catch up with her now that she was back in town. But no one really seemed in the mood for small talk.

"So," Rylee said after a long hesitation, clapping her hands together to break the silence, "what else has been going on around here?" The others all looked up at her, frowning, and she sighed. She shouldn't have asked. Alison's body being found was all anyone seemed to be talking about. "It feels weird being here without her," she confessed, her voice low.

"This is the same table where she gave us those friendship bracelets," Emily said quietly, fingering the faded purple bracelet on her wrist, with her name stitched into it.

Rylee looked down at her own bare wrist, remembering those bracelets. They'd all worn them every day that summer. She'd stopped wearing hers a few months after she'd moved to Virginia, but she was pretty sure it was still buried somewhere in her jewelry box. For some reason, she felt the strange desire to start wearing it again.

"I wish I could have been here for the funeral," Rylee went on, shaking her head and keeping her gaze focused on the table. "It still feels like she's not really gone." Instinctively, her hand moved to her purse, where her phone was nestled inside.

"Well, she is," Hanna said, a little sharply.

Rylee jumped, noticing the glare that Spencer aimed at Hanna. "I know she is, I'm just saying."

"I get it," Aria cut in, nodding sadly. "I think we're all still trying to wrap our heads around it."

A phone went off with a chime that sounded similar to Rylee's, and she jumped, her heart in her throat. The last time she'd gotten a text, aside from Spencer inviting her here, had been yesterday afternoon…from A. All of her friends from Virginia had been messaging her online, and she hadn't really connected with anyone in Rosewood yet. There was only one person who could be texting her.

Rylee was just reaching for her purse when Hanna pulled out her own phone. "Who is it?" Spencer asked, her voice tight. Rylee felt her muscles begin to relax. It hadn't even been her phone in the first place.

Hanna glanced up, her fingers frozen over the keypad. "Just my mom."  
Rylee looked around the table, noticing the pale, wary expressions on the faces of her old friends. She was pretty sure they mirrored the expression on her own face. And she knew why _she_ looked so anxious.

"What's wrong with you guys?" she asked, feeling a sudden chill that made the hairs on her arms rise. "Why do you all look so afraid?"

Spencer narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why do you?"

"Spence, I think we can figure that out," Emily said before Rylee could respond. "We need to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Rylee asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew.

The four others all exchanged nervous looks. Finally, Aria spoke. "Have you been…getting texts? Anonymously?"

Rylee couldn't help her surprise, though she had been expecting this. "From A," she said, and her old friends all nodded. "I got one text, yesterday afternoon. After I talked to the police."

Spencer leaned forward on the table. "We've been getting them too, since the start of the school year. Right before Ali's body was found."

"What did yours say?" Hanna asked.

Rylee opened her mouth but paused, the words refusing to come out. The summer before last, she had done everything possible to make sure that her secret stayed hidden. It was bad enough that Alison knew. If anyone else found out, it wouldn't take long before the whole school knew. And then her parents.

The thought of her parents finding out about her clandestine relationship with Jason made Rylee's palms clammy, even now. She wiped her hands on her jeans. She couldn't tell them. Not now. They were barely even friends anymore. She wasn't even sure if she could still trust them.

But they were all watching her. Her skin hot, Rylee said finally, "Something that no one but Alison knew about me."

"Ali was the only one who knew my secret, too," Emily replied, and Spencer, Hanna, and Aria all nodded in agreement. "And the message I got almost seemed like it was from her."

"This is what A sent to all four of us right after Alison's funeral," Spencer went on, pulling out her phone and holding it out to show me the message from the blocked number.

 _"_ _I'm still here, bitches. And I know everything. –A"_

Rylee wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. "This is so creepy. But Alison can't be A, right? You can't send texts from beyond the grave."

"What matters is," Hanna said with a shaky deep breath, "someone knows all of our secrets."

Her throat suddenly bone dry, Rylee took a gulp of soda and frowned around at her old friends. "But guys, what I'm wondering is…what is A going to do with them?"


	4. Chapter 4

A bunch of people have been favoriting and following this so since I just finished this chapter I figured I'd put it up. I wish I was getting some more reviews though. Guest and JasmineChyanne, thanks for reviewing!

Chapter 4

Rylee was at her locker the next morning, trying not to side-eye anyone holding a phone, when she heard a sound echoing down the hallway. Almost like a…clacking?

She frowned. There was something familiar about that noise. She just couldn't figure out what it was until she walked around the corner and nearly ran right into Jenna Marshall.

Rylee gasped, leaping back as the blind girl walked past, her cane outstretched and her dark glasses concealing her eyes. Rylee stumbled and her back slammed against the wall.

She barely noticed the pain. She couldn't take her eyes off of Jenna.

 _She's back?_

x

 _"_ _Try this on!"_

 _"_ _Here, Ali."_

 _"_ _Switch with me, Rylee."_

 _Rylee pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it to Aria, who handed her an orange tube top in return. Jumping up and down to the music, Rylee slipped it on and spun in front of the mirror, grinning at her reflection._

 _"_ _Wear that," Alison ordered, smiling at her as she pulled on a skimpy pink top. "It's perfect for tonight."_

 _Rylee felt herself turn red at the compliment. She still had a hard time getting used to being one of Alison's friends. She could make you feel on top of the world when she wasn't trying to bury you._

 _It was the Fourth of July, and the girls were in Emily's bedroom, trying to find the perfect outfits for the fireworks that night. Alison had said something about a party afterwards too, and Rylee couldn't stop thinking about the fake ID hidden in the back of her wallet._

 _"_ _That's cute, Ali," she commented, nodding at the pink shirt that Alison was modeling._

 _But her friend didn't seem to have heard her. Her eyes focused on the open window across the room, and she suddenly gasped, running toward it with a shout of, "I can see you!"_

 _Rylee jumped, surprised. "Oh my God, I can't believe it!" Alison thundered, throwing open the window and turning her head left and right. Her expression was murderous._

 _Emily jumped up from the bed and rushed over to join her. "Who is it, Ali? What did you see?"  
"He was in that tree, spying on us. I am so creeped out!" Alison turned away from the window, rubbing her arms and shuddering._

 _Rylee glanced over at the window. A tree sat just outside, and its branches were shaking slightly, even though there didn't seem to be a wind. "Who?" she asked nervously, tearing her eyes away._

 _Alison grimaced angrily. "That perv. Toby Cavanaugh."_

 _Aria looked horrified. "Are you sure?"_

 _"_ _Yes I'm sure!" Alison said, rolling her eyes. "He was right there!" She gave an exaggerated shiver. "I'm sure he saw us all naked."_

 _Queasy, Rylee wrapped her arms around herself. The top she was wearing suddenly seemed way too skimpy. And she had been in her bra just a few minutes ago! Had Toby seen that? She looked over at Hanna, who looked green._

 _"_ _We should tell someone, right?" Aria said uncertainly._

 _Rylee nodded along with the others, feeling sick to her stomach, but Alison smiled mischievously. "We could. But I've got a better idea."_

 _Spencer looked unsure. "What is it?"_

 _"_ _We're going to make sure that Toby Cavanaugh never messes with us again," Alison declared, her eyes alight with excitement. "Emily, do you have matches?"_

 _Emily's brow furrowed in worry, her eyes wide._ Lie and say no, _Rylee thought pleadingly. But she knew that Emily would never argue with Alison. There was no one more loyal than Emily. "In one of the kitchen drawers, but Ali – "_

 _"_ _We need them," Alison said, grabbing Rylee by the arm. "And then I need to run to my house. Come with me."_

 _"_ _Ali, what are you – " Hanna began, but Alison glared at her._

 _"_ _I'll explain the plan when we get back. You girls wait here." She tugged Rylee's arm, pulling her down the stairs. Quickly, she rummaged through the drawers in Emily's kitchen until she found a box of matches, then headed for the backdoor. Rylee followed._

 _"_ _What do you need at your house?" she asked, running to catch up as they cut through Emily's backyard. She glanced back toward the house. Emily, Hanna, Spencer, and Aria were all crowded around the window, watching._

 _"_ _Stop asking questions," Alison snapped. "And be quiet. I'll tell you once we get inside."_

 _They ran through the alley and out onto Alison's street. Rylee followed her into the house, listening hard for any sounds. But it seemed like no on else was home. She breathed a sigh of relief. For once in her life, she was hoping that she wouldn't run into Jason. She had no idea how she would explain this._

 _She followed Alison up to her bedroom and watched as she pulled out a compartment of her jewelry box, extracting something small. She held it out to show Rylee, who suppressed a scream. "A firecracker?"_

 _Alison rolled her eyes. "A smoke bomb firecracker. Don't be so dramatic."_

 _Rylee felt a sudden chill. She shivered. "You're going to throw that in Toby's house?" she asked, her voice small. She clutched the box of matches tightly in her hand._

 _"_ _Of course not," Ali said, already heading for the stairs. "The garage is his little hideout. We're going to throw it in there."_

 _Rylee panicked, grabbing her arm before she could get too far. "Ali, no. This is a bad idea. Do you even know how to use that thing?"_

 _Alison pulled her arm out of Rylee's grip, her eyes darkening. "It's a freaking stink bomb, Rylee. Do you think I'm an idiot?"_

 _"_ _No," Rylee mumbled, her voice wavering. "Of course not. I just think that we shouldn't do anything – "_

 _"_ _Stupid?" Ali filled in, smirking. "I know what I'm doing. And I wanted to tell you first because I thought you'd be into this. We need to teach that pervert a lesson. He can't just creep on us while we're in our_ underwear, _for God's sake."_

 _Rylee shivered. Alison was right, she had to admit. It_ was _pretty creepy. But she couldn't shake the thought that they were making a bad decision. "But if we tell the police, they'll stop him. Why do we have to do anything about it?"_

 _Alison rolled her eyes, looking at Rylee like she was about five years old. "Do you really think that Toby Cavanaugh cares what the Rosewood police say? He's probably spent like, half of his life in juvie. Now come on. I don't want to hang out with a baby."_

 _Rylee gaped. Would Alison really kick her out of the group because she didn't want to throw a stink bomb into Toby's garage? Honestly, Rylee could see it happening. But she still felt uncomfortable with this. "I think I'll just go home, Ali," she said quietly, moving for the door. "I don't like this."_

 _Now it was Alison who grabbed her arm, her eyes narrowed in anger. "You're not going to back out of this, Rylee. We're all in this together."_

 _Rylee wrenched her arm away, suddenly mad. Why did Alison always think she could boss everyone around? She couldn't tell Rylee what to do. "Or what?" she snapped._

 _Alison stepped closer, smiling almost sweetly. "I know things about you, Rylee. Like the fact that you'd rather hook up with my adult brother than someone your own age."_

 _Rylee felt like she'd been slapped. She and Jason had never done anything like that – not even close. But she knew that Alison wouldn't believe her, and even if she did, she'd have no problem lying to the rest of the group. The rest of the_ school.

 _Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. "You don't want to cross me, Rylee," Alison went on, her hands balled into fists. "You were a nobody before you met me, and I can turn you into a nobody again."_

 _Was Ali really threatening her? Rylee took a deep breath. As much as she hated to admit it, being friends with Alison did have its perks. She was popular. She got invited to all the parties, and when there wasn't anything going on, Alison made sure that they found something fun to do. And Rylee loved being part of a group. She loved having friends, even when Ali wasn't around._

 _She wasn't willing to give that up over a prank. "Fine," she mumbled, crossing her arms uncomfortably. "Let's go."_

 _Alison smiled genuinely, patting her shoulder and turning to the door. "I knew there was a reason I picked you."_

x

Rylee stared after Jenna as she made her way cautiously down the hallway. People practically flattened themselves against the walls to keep out of her way. But Rylee stood in the middle of the hall, her mouth open. Her heart was racing.

After the accident, Jenna had gone away to a school for the blind. And from the way people were staring at her now, it looked like she had just gotten back. Rylee couldn't believe it. Not only did she have to deal with coming back to her old school and dealing with Alison's death, she had to deal with Jenna too.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, seeing the horrible fire in her mind. She hadn't argued with Alison once more that night, allowing her to throw the firecracker into Toby's garage. She hadn't known that Jenna was inside.

She remembered running, biting her lip to keep from screaming as the garage erupted in flames. Toby had carried an unconscious Jenna out as the ambulances arrived, and that's when Alison had ushered them all away. She'd said that she had taken care of it.

Rylee turned away and headed in the other direction, a little dizzy. She knew that Alison had blamed Toby for setting the fire. He'd been taken to juvie that night. Rylee had felt guilty for that ever since, but she'd tried not to. Toby was bad news. Everyone knew that. So even though he hadn't blinded his stepsister, he might as well have.

She spotted her old friends gathered around Aria's locker and ran up to them. "You guys, I just saw Jenna. She's back."

They exchanged uneasy glances. "We know," Spencer said finally. "She came to Alison's funeral."

"What?" Rylee was shocked. "Why would she do that? She and Ali hated each other."

"We don't know," Emily said nervously, folding her arms.

"Guys," Spencer spoke up in a whisper. "I saw Jenna when I was running the other day. She was sending a text."

Hanna gaped. "Wait, she can _text,_ too?"

"Um, yeah," Rylee said, raising her eyebrows. "Blind people _can_ send texts."

"Are you saying that you think Jenna might be A?" Aria asked Spencer, wrinkling her brow.

Spencer shrugged. "Who else do we know who has such a good reason to hate Ali? And us?"  
"But she doesn't know it was us who set the fire, right?" Rylee said. "Alison set Toby up for that."

Aria opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Hanna's eyes widened at something over her shoulder. Rylee looked over her shoulder. Toby Cavanaugh was walking out of the bathroom and down the hallway. He turned, glancing at them as he passed. Rylee couldn't read the look on his face.

She shivered. "Toby's back, too? He's out of juvie?"

"He came back to school the same time Jenna did," Spencer said.

"Yeah, and he's been freaking us out ever since," Hanna added, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, guys," Emily said, glancing worriedly at Toby's retreating figure. "He's not _that_ bad."

"Em, he might have _killed_ Alison," Aria protested, her brow furrowing. "I'd say that's pretty bad!"

"Wait." Rylee shook her head. Suddenly she wished that she had never moved away. She felt like she had missed a lot more than just Ali's body being found. "You think that Toby killed Ali?"  
"We're not sure," Spencer said slowly. "But it looks more likely every day."

The bell rang and the girls all exchanged anxious goodbyes, heading off in opposite directions. Rylee trudged off to math. She passed Toby in the hallway and averted her eyes, but she still felt his eyes on her back.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, I'm so so so sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I just couldn't figure out where to go from the last chapter until this suddenly came to me. I'm still bummed that I'm not getting a lot of reviews because I really want to hear what people have to say, but I can't believe I have 25 followers! Thanks guys! This chapter is really short but I just wanted to get something up.

Chapter 5

Rylee was sitting at her lab station in chemistry, doodling hearts on her binder, when a familiar clacking sound made her flinch so badly that she dropped her pen onto the floor.

"Is this the chemistry room?" Jenna stopped in the doorway and held her walking stick between both hands.

Rylee felt like her insides had just frozen. She was going to have to share a class with Jenna Marshall, the girl she had participated in blinding two summers ago?

As the teacher went to speak with Jenna, Rylee glanced nervously at the empty seat beside her. Everyone else in the room had a lab partner already.

The teacher smiled and took Jenna's arm, guiding her in the direction of Rylee's station, and she flinched, closing her eyes. _Please no, please no…_

But Jenna stopped beside her, folded up her walking stick, and carefully lowered herself down into the seat beside Rylee's. "Hello."

"Um," Rylee stammered. She felt like her brain had been switched off. "Hi."

Jenna frowned, her brow furrowing above her large, dark sunglasses. "Is this…Aria?"

"Um, no," Rylee said quietly, clearing her throat. "It's Rylee."

"Oh." Jenna looked surprised. " _Rylee._ I didn't know you were back."

"I just got back," she said quickly. "The other day."

"Ah," Jenna mused, turning her head. Even though Rylee knew it was ridiculous, she fidgeted, feeling like Jenna was staring right at her. "So you haven't been around, either." She smiled, leaning toward Rylee like she was about to share a secret. "But between you and me, aside from Alison's body being found, it doesn't seem like much has changed around here…I mean, as far as I can see."

Rylee cringed and pulled away as if she had been burned. Had Jenna said that on purpose? She couldn't know that Rylee and the others had been involved with the accident that blinded her, even if she knew that Alison had caused it, could she?

Rylee fiddled uncomfortably with her ring, feeling her face lighting up. She couldn't figure out how to respond, so instead, she stayed quiet, remembering her only other real conversation with Jenna.

x

 _"_ _Hey!" Rylee whirled around, nearly slamming right into Hanna, who had bounced up behind her, her short braids bouncing._

 _"_ _There you are! What's going on?" Rylee yelled above the loud music, adjusting the red cape tied around her shoulders. It was Halloween, and she was already starting to regret coming to Noel's annual bash, as hard as it had been to get an invitation. Her Superwoman costume was a little more revealing than she'd realized, sketchy older boys kept asking her to dance, and she hadn't been able to find her friends for the past half hour._

 _"_ _Have you seen Ali?" Hanna yelled back, looking around nervously. "I haven't seen her in almost an hour."_

 _Rylee shook her head. "No, but I've been looking everywhere for you guys!"_

 _"_ _Sorry," said Hanna. "Me and Aria went to get a drink but some jerk thought it was funny to try and scare us."_

 _"_ _I could go for a drink," Rylee decided, taking off her plastic gold tiara and wiping a hand across her forehead. "Is there a keg anywhere?"_

 _"_ _Yeah," Hanna answered, rolling her eyes, but pulling on her shirt self-consciously as a group of boys tumbled past. "But have fun walking around in the woods to find it."_

 _Rylee sighed. But she thought she'd prefer walking in the dark woods to being in this loud, sweaty room. "I'll be right back. I'll keep an eye out for Ali," she called, and started to shove her way through the dancing crowd._

 _She was just about to get to the front door when someone tapped her on the shoulder. A girl wearing a long silver wig, dark glasses, and a very skimpy red outfit stood behind her, undoubtedly dressed as Lady Gaga. "Did I hear you say you were looking for Alison?"_

 _"_ _Yeah," Rylee said in surprise. "Have you seen her?"_

 _"_ _Just about ten minutes ago," she girl said, and lifted her sunglasses to reveal bright green eyes that focused right in on Rylee's. "It looked like she was getting ready to leave."_

 _"_ _What?" Anger bubbled in Rylee's chest. That was so like Alison, to drag them all to this party and then ditch them once she got bored. She was probably heading off to some college party with whiskey instead of beer and frat boys instead of stupid costumes._

 _"_ _Are you one of her friends?" the girl asked, walking out into the cool air and gesturing for Rylee to follow her. She did so, letting out a breath once the music dimmed a little._

 _"_ _Yeah. I'm Rylee."_

 _She smiled, holding out a hand. "I'm Jenna." She paused, and Rylee was just about to say goodbye and go off in search of that keg when Jenna kept talking. "We could've been friends too, you know. Alison gave me an offer…to join her little group."_

 _"_ _Really?" Rylee frowned – is that what Ali thought of them as?_ Her _group?_

 _"_ _Yeah," Jenna said slowly, smirking a little. "But I tend to like to make my own friends."_

 _"_ _Oh." Suddenly kind of uncomfortable, Rylee fiddled with the stack of red, white, and blue bracelets on her arm. "Well…we can still be friends, with or without Alison."_

 _Jenna smiled again, gazing distractedly across the yard, which was filled with more kids. "That's nice of you to offer. But I think I want to stay as far away from Alison's group as I can. And you should too."_

 _Surprised, Rylee took a step back and nearly tripped on her heels. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _Jenna gave her a knowing smile, like Rylee should have already known the answer. "I've been in this town for less than a week and I can already see how Alison treats people. I'm just trying to do you a favor by warning you ahead of time."_

 _"_ _Ali's been my friend for almost two years," Rylee protested, not sure why she was so uncomfortable. Was it because Jenna was hating on one of her best friends? Or was it because she was right? "She'd never turn on me."_

 _"_ _I wouldn't be so sure about that," Jenna said, smiling and lowered her dark glasses back over her eyes. "I've known girls like Alison before, and sooner or later, they end up dumping everyone." Before Rylee could even think of an answer, she'd walked off, heading for a group of older boys near the fire pit._

 _Rylee stared after her, unsettled. Who did that girl think she was, coming up out of nowhere and bashing Alison? Jenna didn't even_ know _Ali, outside of, what, one conversation?_

 _And yet, Rylee realized as she stumbled off into the woods to find the keg, it almost seemed like after that one conversation, she knew more about Alison than Rylee had after two years._

x

"So." Jenna tapped her fingernails against her lab book – Rylee wondered briefly if it was in Braille – and turned once again to face her, almost like she was looking right at her. "What do you think?"

Rylee snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "What do I think of what?"

Jenna raised her eyebrows. "About Rosewood? Do you think it's much different from when you left?"  
Again, Rylee just looked at her, trying to detect any sort of tone. Did Jenna know something that she didn't? "Uh, I guess it's too early to tell," she mumbled finally. "Like I said, I just got back."

"Have you seen much of your old friends yet?" Jenna asked, but went on without waiting for an answer. "I joined them for lunch the other day. It's such a shame."

Rylee's head snapped up from her book. "What is?"

"I remember back when you were all inseparable. You used to be the fun group." She sighed and shook her head sadly…a little too sadly. "But everyone seems so…down, now. Almost like they're afraid of something."

Rylee stared straight ahead, aware of the waver in her voice when she answered. "Oh. Weird." And she was suddenly glad that Jenna couldn't see her, because she knew that the look on her face would give everything away.

Something about the way she'd say that, like she already knew that something was going on and that the girls really were afraid of something.

A horrible thought occurred to Rylee and she excused herself to the bathroom quickly, suddenly desperate to be alone.

Maybe the others were wrong. Maybe Toby wasn't "A," or Alison's killer.

Maybe Jenna was.


End file.
